Spacing mechanism



L.E.TOP HAM.

SPACING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED Aus.23, 1918.

1,381,256. Patented-June 14, 1921.

Application filed August 23, 1918.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LAURENCE E. TorHAM, acitizen of theUnited States, residing at wampscott, in the county ofEssex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements inSpacing Mechanisms, of which the following description, in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like referencecharacters 011 the drawings indicating like parts in the severalfigures.

This invention relates to spacing mechanisms' for machines series ofoperations upon a piece of work at intervals and to feed the workbetween successive operations. The invention is herein shown as embodiedin an eyeleting machine, but it is equally applicable, for example, toaperforating machine, a lacing hook setting machine or the like.

Machines of this type have for a long time been constructed witharranged to be readily adjusted so as to vary the spacing betweensuccessive operations.

The o'bjectof this invention is to provide an improvedspacing mechanismwhereby the number'of parts employedmay be reduced and the arrangementingeneral simplified.

understood from In such avmachinea The features of the invention will bebest the following description of a preferred embodiment thereofselected for purposes of illustration and shown in the'accompanyingdrawings, in which,-

Figure 1 is aperspective view of the invention applied to'an eyeletingmachine;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same machine;

Figs. 3 and 4 showsuccessive positions of the work-engaging feedingmember and its associated spacing mechanism with the spacingv lever heldin a predetermined position; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken through thefulcrum of the spacinglever.

The invention is herein disclosed as embodied in. a machine of thegeneral type shown in Letters Patent of the United States N 0.1,205,277, granted November 21, 1916, upon an application of WalterShaw. frame 10 is provided with a driving shaft 12 on which are mounteda series of cams l4, l6 and 18, the first of which is arranged toreciprocate a lower set 20. Fasteners are supplied to this lower setthrough a raceway 22 oscillated from the cam 16 into and out of the pathof the lower Specification of Letters Patent.

arranged to perform a spacing mechanisms Patented June 14, 1921. SerialNo. 251,109.

such that the punch descends and perforatesthe work and and to be set inthe Work.

The lever 26 is slidingly mounted in a support 28 which is pivoted inthe frame of the machine and the connection between the lever 26 andsupport 28 is such as to allow a relative forward and backward movementof the lever and an upward and downward movement of the tool 24 as thelever oscillates upon its pivot 30. As in the patented construction, theforward and backward movement is controlled by a cam 32 arranged torestrict the lateral movement of the" tool 24 to a straight line. Thesupport 28 is provided with an extension 34 which constitutes a crankarm by means of which the work-engaging feeding member 24 may bereciprocated laterally. Power for so reciprocating the tool 24 issupplied to the arm 34 from'the cam 18 by means of a bell crank leverhaving an arm 36 engaging the cam and an arm 38 connected to the arm 34by means of a floating lever 40 and a connecting link 42.

It will be observed that the movement of the arm 38 and its connectinglink 42 is necessarily of a fixed magnitude because of its control bythe path cam 18. In order for the spacing mechanism tobe adjustablyeffective to feed the work over varying intervals, means are providedfor constraining' or controlling the path of movement of floatingfulcrum 43 of the lever 40 so embodiment these means comprise a U-shaped link 44 pivotally connected by fulcrum pin 43 to an intermediatepoint of the floating lever 40 and by pin 45 to the rearwardlyextendingarm of a regulating lever 46. This lever is fulcrumed upon anextension of the fulcrum portion 48 of the bell crank lever 36, 38, andis provided with a trunnion 47 which projects through a bearing in acasing 50 on the frame of the machine. This trunnion and the portion 48work engaging feeding memare coaxial. To the upper end of the trunnionthere is secured a torsion spring 52, adjustably tensioned by means of anut 54, and arranged to urgethe regulating lever 46 to the rear of thespacing plate 56. The latter is provided with a series of holes adaptedto receive one or more pins 58 for V limiting the movement of the lever46.: The lever 46 may conveniently be rconnected to a treadle (notshown) by means ofia link 60, a bell crank lever 62 and rod 64. Ad-

justment'of the lever 46 will vary the location of the pivot 45 'of'thelink 44."

The effect of changing pivot:,45" is to neutralize more or less of theangular movement executed by lever. 40 in response to actuation of arm38. The an-v gular motion of lever 40 is the effective component andtheendwise motion is the non-effective component. This mechanism may beconsidered as comprisingv a triple linkage 42, 40, 44 of which the,middlev link 40 is also'a lever and-has lateral motion of,

constant amplitude imparted to it by one of the terminal links and has afloating ful-v crum guided by the other terminal link so as toneutral'ze more; or less of the angular movement. resulting therefrom.

Itwill be, understood that the forward and backward movementof thelever-261mder the control of the cam .32 is contempo-. lateral,movement. impartraneous with the ed theretobyithe spacing mechanismwith the result that the work-engaging tool 24 movesin a straight line.through varying distances .and,always is brought to a final position inalinement with the set 20. This is so-because;'the,,clistance betweenthe axis of pivot 45 andthat of actuatingarm 38 remains constant,

Successive, positions of the parts of the spacing mechanism, shown inFigs. 3 and 4, illustrate what takes place whenthe work feeding-membermovesfrom anextreme po- 'sition .(Fig. 3) to an intermediate position(Fig. 4) with the regulating lever 46 set'tor the. maximum length of Ifeeding -movement. WVh en .the lever 5 46- is, moved for a small feedingmovement (see Fig. 2), the free'end of the link 44 is constrained tomove more nearly at right angles. to the.

the location of.

of movement of an to the position motion transmitted by the floatinglever to the feeding member.

2. In a machine scribed, a workeengaging feeding member, and means forimparting a feedingirmovement to said member comprising a power operatedlever, a crank for oscillating the of the character defeeding member, aconnecting link between.

the power operated lever and the crank, a floating fulcrum for anintermediate point in said connecting link, and means for alter.- ingthe path to vary the extent. offeeding motion transmitted by said link.

'3. In a machine of theoharacter. described, a work-engag ngfeedmgmember,

fee'dlng- .moveme nt to, I

means foriimparting a said member comprising three serially. 1 1-4nected links movable. abouttwo adjustably, fixed centers upon theframeof themachine, fixed to the feedi'ng, fo par ing m v ment o theintermediate link, and means for. adjusting the relativepositions of thefixed centers one of said links being member, means to vary th feedmgmovement imparted to the workeengaging feeding member, 4. In; amachineof the: character de:

of said floating fulcrum .so :as 1

scribed, a work-engag ng feeding mcmben means for supporting said membercompr sing a pivoted crank'arm, powerr means for. operating said crankarmcomprising an intermediate connecting link, and a'chustable means forconstraining the path angular movementof operated intermediate point of,said link so as to cause moreorlessl of the, the .link to, be 1mpart edto the crank arm andhence.totheworlg;

engaging feedingrmember. V

5. In a machine. of the 1. character; described, a, work-engag ng feedng member,

means for supporting said member; come prising a crank arm, areciprocating,actu-..

ator, means arranged: to transmit motion from said actuator tothe,crank-arr n, the lat-' ter said means ed links, and adjustable:means, "for con strainingthe path; of movementiof an ;intermediatepoint in onset said links so as to. de-. termine; the amplitude. of,effective, motion transmitted to the. crank arm...

6. A machine of the character described, feeding; member, an operatingmember, a l1nk concomprising a work-engaging and.

necting said members so as to transmit v feeding movement from thelatter tothe former,

an adjustable anchoring pivot, a llnk ar-.

ranged toswing on said anchoring; pivot and including pivotallyconnect-,

connected to thefirst said link so as to guide the movement thereof, andmeans for adj 11st.- mg said p1vot1 so as movement of the second link vand thereby to alter; the, lines -of vary, the amplitude of feeding-movement transmitted by thefirst said link,

7 In a. machlne of the character do for" scribed, a work-feedinglever,.means supporting said lever constructed and arranged to allowendwise movement and lateral turning movement thereof, means for lconstraining the forward and backward movement so as to cause thework-engaging point of said member to traverse a strai ht line feedingpath, and means for imparting lateral movement to the feeding membercomprising a power operated lever having a constant amplitude of motion,a link connecting said lever and the supporting means for the feedingmember, and means for controlling the path of movement of a portion ofsaid link constructed and arranged to direct more or less of the angularmovement of the link to the supporting member so as to cause feedingmovement of the feeding lever.

8. In a machine of the character described, a work-feeding lever, anactuating lever arranged to execute angular movement of constantamplitude, a lever arranged to transmit angular movement from theactuating lever to the feeding lever, said transmitting lever being soconnected to the feeding lever as to be moved endwise by feedingmovement of the feeding lever, and adjustable means arranged toconstrain the path of movement of a portion of the transmitting ever soas to neutralize various proportions of the angular movement thereof ina way to regulate the extent of angular movement imparted to the feedinglever by the transmitting lever.

9. In a machine of the character described, a work-feeding lever, anactuating lever arranged to execute angular movement of constantamplitude, a lever arranged to transmit angular movement from theactuating lever to the feeding lever, said transmitting lever havingthree bodily movable pivot members two of which form connection with theactuating lever and the feeding lever respectively, and the third ofwhich constitutes a floating fulcrum, and means for constraining thepath of bodily movement of the third pivot member so as to regulate theextent of angular movement transmitted from the transmitting lever tothe feeding lever.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

LAURENCE E. TOPHAM.

